refrigerant

[ ri-frij-er-uhnt ]

adjective

1. refrigerating; cooling.
2. reducing bodily heat or fever.

noun

1. a refrigerant agent, as a drug.
2. a liquid capable of vaporizing at a low temperature, as ammonia, used in mechanical refrigeration.
3. a cooling substance, as ice or solid carbon dioxide, used in a refrigerator.

refrigerant

/ rɪˈfrɪdʒərənt /

noun

1. a fluid capable of changes of phase at low temperatures: used as the working fluid of a refrigerator
2. a cooling substance, such as ice or solid carbon dioxide
3. med an agent that provides a sensation of coolness or reduces fever

adjective

1. causing cooling or freezing

refrigerant

/ rĭ-frĭj′ər-ənt /

1. A substance, such as ice or ammonia, used to cool something by absorbing heat from it. Refrigerants are usually substances that evaporate quickly. In the process of evaporation they draw heat from surrounding substances.

Other Words From

• nonre·friger·ant adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of refrigerant¹

1590–1600; < Latin refrīgerant- (stem of refrīgerāns ), present participle of refrīgerāre. See refrigerate, -ant

Example Sentences

When it’s cold outside, the process is reversed: Heat from the chilly outdoor air is extracted and delivered indoors with the help of refrigerants and a compressor.

From Seattle Times

Methylene chloride will continue to be allowed to make refrigerants as an alternative to other chemicals that produce greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change, Freedhoff said.

From Seattle Times

A large group of ozone depleting chemicals were responsible - primarily CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons - that were used as refrigerants.

From BBC

It works by circulating liquid refrigerants with low boiling points through a closed loop, capturing warmth from the air.

From BBC

Air-source pumps, for example, suck in outdoor air and pass it over tubes containing refrigerant fluids to produce heat.

From BBC

Related Words

• container